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Ramesco General Supplies Donates Ultra-Modern Digital Ex-Ray Machine to 34 Military Hospital

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Ramesco General Supplies on the 14th June, 2023 donated a brand new ultra-modern radiographic digital X-Ray machine, with related accessories, to the Joint Military Unit of the 34 Military Hospital during a snap but auspicious ceremony that was held at the hospital premises.

Present at the handing over ceremony were, Daklalah Antar, representing Ramesco General Supplies,  Col. Rtd Muana Massaquoi Deputy Minister of Defense, Deputy Secretary to the Director General for the Ministry of Defence B.S Macfoy, Senior and Junior military personnel and the Press.

Captain Kandeh B. Kargbo, Head of Public Health and Training, who chaired the ceremony, stated that in the next 45 minutes all will witness the handing over of a brand new digital X-Ray Machine to the Joint Medical Unit of the 34 Military Hospital at Wilberforce and welcomed all.

The Commanding Officer of the Joint Medical Unit for the 34 Military Hospital,  Col. Dr Stephen Sevallie, in his statement, highlighted that it is not uncommon for the military to convene such  an event furthering how Senior Management of the 34 Military Hospital prioritized having an X-Ray Machine to enhance their diagnostic capacity adding that they are extremely grateful to Ramesco General Supplies for their timely intervention in availing the hospital a Digital X-Ray Machine also mentioning that the relationship between the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Military Forces and Ramesco General Supplies spans over two decades, even before he enlisted in the Military, anchoring that the two entities are development partners.

Col. Dr Stephen Sevallie underscored that the X-Ray machine came at the right time when the diagnostic unit of the hospital has an ultra-sound modern centre of excellence, when the hospital is expanding from a 600 to a 1,500 bed facility and when training opportunities are emerging. He appreciated the efforts made by the Deputy Minister of Health in making the donation become a reality.

On his part, the Director General of Defence,  B.S Macfoi, extended gratitude to the donor revealing how Ramesco General Supplies has been a supplier to the Military for a very long period of time and they wholeheartedly accept the donation as part of the business’s entity Corporate Social Responsibility of their business entity and urged other entities to meaningfully support the Military adding that the machine will be used for its intended purpose further thanking all those, who in one way or the other, made the donation a possibility.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Muana Brima Massaquoi, apologized for the absence of the Minister saying he is attending to another equally important assignment and expressed delight for his presence, by deputizing him, in such a significant event.

He said the Joint Military Unit is the backbone of the 34 Military Hospital maintaining that the gesture by the business entity does not come as a surprise because of the long standing relationship that has existed between the two entities. He also expressed profound thanks and appreciation to Ramesco General Supplies for driving services under tough conditions and expressed optimism that with the new digital X-Ray Machine there will be an enhancement of efficient delivery of health services adding how the highly sophisticated Ex-ray machine will improve their diagnostic capacity and contribute in catapulting the hospital to a Level 4 Military Hospital.

According to him, for the past three years, the Government has invested hugely maintaining that such is evident in the new infrastructure that the military has recently commissioned and the training opportunities so far offered to deserving military personnel.

 

He maintained that all these recent developments will put the 34 Military Hospital at an enviable position in terms of health service delivery further assuring that the donated machine will be judiciously used for the intended purposes.

He thanked the Military for the invaluable services that they are rolling out and cautioned them to utilize the machine judiciously.

The representative of  Ramesco General Supplies, Daklala Antar, said it is with great pride and gratitude that he stands before all to speak about the donation of a crucial medical machine to the dedicated armed forces of Sierra Leone.

He pointed out that the Armed Forces play pivotal roles in safe guarding the nation, protecting citizens and ensuring peace and security.

Antar furthered that their selfless dedication, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to duty deserve their utmost respect and support and  as a gesture of appreciation for their invaluable service and as part of their pursuit to ensure the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by their company, aside the longstanding relationship built with the Ministry of Defence for the past decades, they at Ramesco General Supplies  decided to contribute and donate the Digital X-Ray Machine  to aid the 34 Military Hospital  healthcare capabilities.

He underscored how the donation is a testament to their belief in the importance of providing the armed forces with the tool they need to excel in their roles.

“The ultra-modern radiographic system with related accessories we have chosen to donate will significantly enhance their ability to provide essential medical care to our brave soldiers,” he expressed hope adding how it is essential to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by the armed forces in their line of duty.

He also expressed profound gratitude to the armed forces for their unparallel service saying it is an honor to contribute to their healthcare capabilities by donating the machine.

“Let us remember that their well-being is intertwined with the security and prosperity of our nation and through collective efforts all can assure they receive the care and support they deserve,” he concluded.

The highpoint of the commissioning programme was an inspection of the digital X-Ray Machine that was donated by Ramesco General Supplies. However, before that, during the course of the programme, a symbolic demonstration of the presentation of the digital Ex-Ray Machine was done.

NP-SL 1st for Customer Satisfaction Posture Averts Scarcity of Petroleum Products

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd)

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

NP-SL Ltd has been regarded as a well-positioned institution that is always very pro-active to pragmatically put concrete arrangements into reality in order for the majority in this country to gain access to qualitative petroleum products which includes petrol, diesel, gas as well as lubricants, including the ever highly sought Castrol lubricant oil regarded to be a very good for the efficient lubrication of various engines.

NP-SL is indeed poised to continue to avail its numerous customers qualitative petroleum products that the company markets which is why the company imported large quantities of petrol and diesel that have been discharged and distributed nationwide.

The company has in its employ, a workforce as well as distributors that market its various petroleum products. As far as it has been established, this laid down policy which the company is implementing to the letter, is complementing the efforts of the Government to deepen development.

Today, it is now non-existent for individuals to complain that when they are in the process of procuring petroleum products, pump attendants cheat them in terms of not getting their money’s worth. The simple reason is because the Shareholders and Management of the company were indeed very business savvy to procure modern calibrated pumping machines which were installed at their various selling points and are very capable of churning out the exact quantity of what is demanded and the price to be paid. In this regard the company has bagged the covetous commendation of, “1st For Customer Care”.

During a random countrywide survey conducted over a period of time targeting a large percentage of customers NP-SL Ltd, with the avowed objective of sounding their views on the operations of the company in the country, the methodology utilized bordered on asking random questions in order to get their candid views.

When quizzed on how they view the way the company treats its numerous customers across the country, most of the respondents warmly reacted by stating that the Shareholders and Management of  the company are doing extremely well in the direction of effective service delivery and giving utmost satisfaction to customers.

Abdul Aziz Koroma, a renowned Social Commentator, maintained that when it comes to customer care, NP-SL Ltd is second to none within the business landscape of this country.

“From what I so far learnt in order to conduct sales in a very transparent manner and to give customers their money’s worth, the Shareholders of the company decided to procure and install modern calibrated pumping machines at their various Filling Stations that are capable to pump the exact quantity of fuel, at the same time display the price and quantity,” he pointed out, adding that to even think that the pump attendants are cheating customers could only be a mere figment of one’s imagination, as something like that is farfetched.

A Development Specialist of long standing intimated that for the country’s economy to grow sustainably it is but important to deepen local content further arguing that it is only when we make meaningful use of both our human and natural resources that development could transpire.

“Instead of depending on the importation of certain consumable items and foreign expatriates, it is but very significant and cost effective to make use of what we have at hand to produce goods and services,” Andrew Soluku, an Economist averred, also stating that for NP-SL Ltd to make it a laid down policy and put into practice to offer employment exclusively to Sierra Leoneans is indeed laudable and no mean feat.

He further underscored that by offering jobs to Sierra Leoneans is a way of empowering the citizenry to take care of daily responsibilities and live improved standards of living.

“I really doff my hat to the Shareholders of the company for actualizing such a high sense of patriotism,” he expressed admiration.

A vast majority of those interviewed revealed that they are using NP Gas for cooking purpose, maintaining that it is very efficient and environmentally friendly. The NP Gas that they referred to is a cooking device which is manufactured in different cylinder sizes and sold at affordable prices at the company’s Filling Stations. “I discovered that this device is very fast in terms of performance and is now going like hot cakes, as many are now going for it, especially when the gas that is used to refill it could be easily secured at various Filling Stations ,” Memunatu Forna, a business woman selling cooking utensils on Sani Abacha Street informed.

With regards the use of NP Smart Card, it is one that is now in vogue. Some personalities who are using it said they find it very useful and a convenient way of purchasing petroleum products. They added that they always ensure their NP Smart Cards are credited to be used to purchase fuel, be it petrol or diesel. “Sometimes I don’t have to go through the hassle of going to the Bank on a busy Friday afternoon to withdraw cash just for the purpose of purchasing fuel that will last throughout the weekend. I do procure petrol by using my Smart Card and it is working perfectly well,” Musa Kalokoh, an Engineer told one of our reporters.

Momodu Fofana stated that the company is really growing by leaps and bounds. “For NP-SL Ltd to successfully establish branches in neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia is indeed no mean feat, especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that these branches are operating vibrantly,” he pointed out.

From what was so far gathered throughout the conducted random survey, it can be safely concluded that NP-SL Ltd is indeed a living testimony of a successful and thriving business entity that is contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the nation and worthy of emulation.

ECSL Reveals Arrival of Ballot Papers on Saturday & Step by Step Processing of Votes Cast

By Millicent Senava Mannah

It has been announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) that ballot papers for the 24 June elections will arrive at the Freetown International Airport on Saturday, 17th June, 2023.

That revelation by ECSL was made during a demonstration of 2023 Election Management System Meeting at the Commission’s Warehouse at Wellington in Freetown on the 14th June, 2023.

According to the Commission, the ballot papers will be received at the Freetown International Airport together with election observers and a press corps on Saturday.

The said ballot papers will be transported to the Commission’s warehouse awaiting further transportation to voting centres across the country.

However, although the Commission is certain that the multitier election will go on as planned, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has called on the resignation of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh together with four other commissioners.

In a statement to the public, the APC’s Presidential Candidate Samura Kamara called on his supporters to exercise civil disobedience if their request is not met within the set time.

It must be noted that the APC has been at loggerheads with the Commission since early this year.

The Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), Mohamed Konneh, also revealed that over 250 Muslim pilgrims will cast their ballots on Thursday the 15th June, 2023.

“253 are eligible to vote and more will be approved later in the afternoon,” Konneh said on Wednesday morning at the ECSL’s Warehouse at Wellington in Freetown.

The Commission earlier, in a press release indicated Muslim pilgrims will have the chance to vote before leaving for pilgrimage to Mecca over the weekend.

“The Election will be conducted for pilgrims who are Registered Voters and will be travelling to the Holy Land of Mecca on religious pilgrimage to exercise their franchise before the departure,”

The pilgrims will have the chance to vote at centres they did their registration.

According to the Commission, voting will take place at one centre in each district.

Pilgrims that registered in Freetown will cast their ballot at Ronsabs Preparatory School on Spur Road while Waterloo pilgrims will vote at REC Primary School.

The ECSL said that the early ballots will be counted together with the 24 June ballots “at the last polling stations designated”.

Also, a Step-by-Step process of how 2023 Election Result will be counted, collated and announced was done. ECSL stated that as Sierra Leone gears up for the highly anticipated 2023 elections, it is essential to understand the step-by-step process through which the results will be counted, collated, and ultimately announced.

With 3,374,258 registered voters, marking an increase of 195,595 from 2018, the democratic process is set to unfold with fervor.

The process of vote counting in Sierra Leone involves both physical and electronic methods. At polling stations, votes are manually counted by election officials and additionally at the district and regional tallying centers, overseen by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) who’s responsible for managing the country’s national elections

At polling stations across the nation, the physical counting of votes takes place, following a meticulous five-stage process. The ballot papers undergo screening, reunification, reconciliation, sorting, and finally, counting. Once the counting is complete, the Presiding Officer at each Polling Station publicly announces the results for agents and observers to record.

To ensure accuracy and efficiency, the outcomes are then recorded in a Reconciliation and Result Form (RRF). These provisional results from all polling stations are subsequently transmitted to the respective district tallying centers, where electronic tallying occurs. Each region, led by a Regional Commissioner, announces the provisional results via traditional media, providing a glimpse into the evolving electoral landscape.

As the anticipation reaches its peak, the provisional results are further consolidated at the National Tallying Center (NTC). It is within this central hub that the final tallying takes place, paving the way for the announcement of the official results.

The responsibility of declaring the final results rests with the Chief Electoral Commissioner, who, in a momentous occasion, will address the nation via traditional mass media platforms.

In the quest for victory in the presidential race, a candidate must secure a minimum of 55 percent of the total votes cast. Should this threshold not be achieved during the first round of voting, a run-off election will be held. This process, familiar from the 2018 election, will involve the two candidates with the highest number of votes competing head-to-head for the ultimate victory.

Lands Minister to Hand Over Land & Documents to Kekeh & Okada Land Winners Today

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

In respect of four (4) acres of State Land allocated for the construction of skills training center and homes for persons with disability in Sierra Leone, the Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Dr. Turad Senesie has, on Wednesday June 14 2023, handed over documents to the Focal Person of Alex Focus Charity Organization.

In his statement, while handing over the land document to the Focal Person of Alex Focus Charity Organization, the Minister disclosed that President Bio had promised to make the land available for the required purpose following a passionate request made by head of the charity organization during one of his trips to Europe.

“Today, on behalf of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio, I am handing over four acres of land to the representative of Alex Focus Foundation for the construction of skills training centre and housing facilities for persons with disabilities as promised by President Bio,” Dr. Turad Senesie announced.

He ended up by calling on the custodians of the land to ensure it is used for its required purpose for the benefit of persons with disabilities.

On behalf of the disable community, the Country Representative of the Alex Focus Charity Foundation expressed appreciation over the intervention of the President towards alleviating the plights of persons with disabilities.

He promised that the land would be judiciously utilized.

In another development, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning wishes to announce to the general public that the paper-work for the One Thousand (1000) Okada and Kekeh Riders who won the Land Raffle in May 2023 has been completed and the land is ready for allocation.

In that regard, the Ministry is inviting the winners of the Kekeh and Okada Land Raffle to the handing over ceremony of the land and documents (site plans and offer letters) on Friday 16th June 2023 at Mac Donald in the Western Area Rural Peninsular (after Waterloo).

The ceremony will commence at 10am prompt and the general public is also invited to attend and on time.

USL & Broad Institutes Ends Training for Postgraduate Medical Science Students

A courtesy call was paid on the 12th June, 2023 to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone, Brig. Gen. Prof Foday Sahr by a team of international tutors from the Broad Institutes (Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institutes of Technology) and their local counterparts from the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) as part of a farewell gesture to the University authorities after wrapping up a week-long intensive training of 26 postgraduate students (11 PhD and 15 Master) of COMAHS at the Galliness Paradise in Bo City.

Leader of the delegation to the VC&P, Haja Dr. Isata Wurie, Dean of the Faculty of the Medical Laboratory Sciences and Diagnostics at COMAHS and the Postgraduate Course Coordinator gave an update of the course by stating that the course started with an online interaction between the tutors and the students, and that the students subsequently requested for their tutors to be on the ground, which they did.

Associate Professor Wurie pointed out that the current phase of the course is fully sponsored by Harvard University, adding that they are preparing to support another two sets of courses and have also confirmed support for two students – one PhD and one Masters to add to the ten masters and PhD students already supported to by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

She also noted that the courses are being tailored according to the expectations of the University in addition to providing not only technical support but also supervision and mentorship also pointing out that the current team of tutors is the second after another team of nine faculty members (international and local) that are teaching the courses gratis.

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of USL, Brig. Gen. Prof. Foday Sahr welcomed the team from the Broad Institutes and thanked them for their support to the University of Sierra Leone.

He pointed out that the USL Administration started working on the programme in 2021 when COMAHS initiated the idea of a postgraduate programme in medical science and had some students registered for the programme.

He also  noted that the University Administration is thinking of structuring the course like it is done in other institutions – that is, students pursuing the postgraduate programme would graduate initially with a postgraduate diploma in various medical science fields that would include disciplines like Research Methods, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Bioengineering and Informatics so that those students who would not be able to meet the graduation criteria for a PhD and Masters would be able to graduate with a postgraduate diploma.

Before the courtesy visit to the USL VC&P, the team from the Broad Institutes had concluded a week-long training of 26 postgraduate Students of COMAHS in various medical science disciplines that include: epidemiology and infectious disease modelling: history, theory and applications.

The training targeted research scientists, medical doctors, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists pursuing a Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in various medical science disciplines.

The said training is geared towards fulfilling the University’s goal of building staff capacity and also in line with the national agenda of human capacity building in the area of providing quality health services in the country.

Earlier, in his goodwill statement at the close of the training in Bo, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh expressed delight over the collaborative efforts by the University of Sierra Leone and the Broad Institutes in introducing academic research areas such as bioengineering, biostatistics and bioinformatics in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Sengeh further expressed optimism about the outcomes of the training noting that it could serve as a bedrock in providing academic variety in the area of specialisation for future medical students.

Expressing the benefits of the training from his perspective as one of the PhD candidates that benefitted from the training, Morrison Jusu described the training and the entire postgraduate programme as an opportunity for a national medical science transformation in the country.

PPRC & Peace Commission Release Observation Findings of 20 Days of Electoral Campaigning

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

In a joint statement dated, 13th June, 2023  issued by the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (Peace Commission) it was stated that the two institutions monitored the campaign activities of Political Parties contesting the 24th June 2023 elections for the past twenty days and observed the defilement of children, singing and dancing to profane and insulting songs, in front of His Excellency the President and the Hon. Vice President’s campaign postal, as Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates respectively of their Party.

They also observed that results are pronounced even before elections have been conducted.,

the persistent harassment and intimidation of Commissioners and personnel of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone and other Election Management Bodies, the intemperate and scathing comments against Political opponents, intermittent confrontation and disruption of the campaign activities of Political opponents in some parts of the Provinces, defiant flouting of security directives and guidance from the police, on routes to and from campaign designated locations, by Political Parties and their Candidates, leading to otherwise avoidable confrontations and the persistent calls for illegal protests by faceless persons and threats of unlawful disruption of the pending Polls.

According to the two institutions, those unfortunate happenings do not only have the proclivity of derailing the gains all have collectively made, but also have the following effects: Stoking conflict., Undermine democratic processes, Weaponise segments of the Public against State institutions and Officials, Compromise public safety and public morality and renege on the peace pledge recently signed by the leadership of the contesting Political Parties and their Presidential Candidates.

In order to respond to complaints received by the PPRC from the ECSL, APC and SLPP, bordering around the above, a dialogue meeting was convened on Friday 9th June 2023, with a view to addressing those complaints and discussing all of the aforementioned emerging issues.

Inexplicably, the APC Party did not attend the meeting and it is yet to proffer an explanation to the Commission for their absence.

They also jointly called on all Political Parties participating in the pending elections to: Roundly condemn all forms of threats to and intimidation of the ECSL and other Electoral management bodies, dissociate themselves from and denounce all calls for unlawful protests and disruption of the Polls and to be temperate in their utterances and tolerant in their campaigns, with messages of a national character.

The Peace Commission and PPRC finally called on Political Parties, their Leadership, Candidates and supporters to act in the spirit of the peace pledge they recently signed.

‘Salone Prepared for June 24 Elections’

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Fonkam Azzu, who is the former Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Cameroon (ELECAM) has described Sierra Leone’s electoral process and governance issues as a model for the Africa continent and the world at large, adding that he is convinced that the coming elections in Sierra Leone will be peaceful, transparent and credible.

He made this statement during a conference on Sierra Leone’s election preparedness which attracted various Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), civil society representatives, journalists and members of the public.

The organizing institution, IDEAS, headed by Ibrahim Tarawally stated that they deemed it necessary to hold such a conference for the 2023 election stakeholders to discuss and commit themselves to conducting and ensuring peaceful June 24, 2023 general elections.

Other speakers including the National Security Coordinator (NSCoord) of the Office of National Security (ONS), Abdulai Caulker, Chairman of Electoral Commission Sierra Leone, Mohamed K. Konneh, Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) Chairman, Abdulai Bangura Esq., ONS Chief of Staff, Francis Langumba Keili among others spoke extensively on the need for Sierra Leoneans to embrace each other because elections is an event after which life goes on.

In his address, the NSCoord Abdulai Caulker stated that as far as the ONS is concerned, they have put in place modalities for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the June 24 elections, adding that they have a toll free line 119 which any one can call to report incidents that warrant prompt intervention by the security forces.

ECSL Chairman, Mohamed K. Konneh mentioned that as far as the ECSL is concerned, they have put everything in place to conduct the June 24 elections. He added that they have rolled out the Voter Registration Data to all political parties, citing that election materials would be arriving soon by airplane. He went on to state that when the election materials arrive, they would seek the assistance of the security forces and invite journalist to cover the event.

A question and answer session climaxed the event.

Information Minister Propagates President Bio’s Second Term Manifesto to Students of Njala University

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, on Monday 12th June, 2023, worked in place of his boss, Chief Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa, to propagate the 2023 SLPP Big Five Manifesto among staff, and students of Njala University, Bo Campus.

Speaking at the Main Hall of Towama Location, Sierra Leone’s most esteemed and best Information and Communications Minister and Chairman of the Public Relations Committee for the SLPP 2023 campaign outlined the top priorities in President Bio’s New Direction: “Consolidating Gains and Accelerating Transformation” manifesto in terms of agriculture, human capital development, investment in youth employment schemes, revamping the public sector, and accelerating the use of technology and infrastructure.

“This manifesto is the result of a wide-ranging interaction that was led by the Chief Minister, who also serves as the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee. Since this is a manifesto with the interests of the people at its core, we engaged with traditional leaders, the student community, and other stakeholders. This document accurately captures all of those sentiments,” remarked Minister Swaray.

The President’s vision for Sierra Leone, according to Mr. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, is a progressive, peaceful, and united country where every Sierra Leonean can live and fulfill their full potentials. He added that every Sierra Leonean should identify with this broad national vision.

Stating the reason for taking the manifesto to Universities, the Minister hinted that the President had asked them to visit Njala University because of its special place in his heart and the knowledge that the students and staff there know the issues.

He listed a few of President Bio’s accomplishments from his first term and said that his second term would be dedicated to consolidating and expanding the progress already made by his Administration.

“This Government has invested in education more than any other Government before us. More students than ever before are enrolled in schools and universities. There are more universities here than you can imagine,” the Minister underscored. The reason for this, stressed Rado Swaray, is that the President allots 22% of the nation’s budget each year to support education. “Does this not convince you to vote for President Bio on June 24?” he asked.

Since food imports make up more than half of the country’s total imports, food production is, according to the Minister, Sierra Leone’s biggest challenge. He pointed out that the Government spends a staggering $250 million on rice imports alone. He claims that the excessive spending on rice imports has increased the demand for foreign currency.  “Over 50% of our foreign exchange is used to import foodstuffs,” he continued.

The greatest approach to ease this burden, he continued, is to invest in agriculture, which will lower demand for foreign currency. He described how Njala University’s contribution will make Feed Salone a success.

The Minister also discussed the other Big Five Manifesto priority areas and later entertained questions from staff and students.

NP Lands 14,000 Metric Tons of Petrol & 20,000 Metric Tons of Diesel

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

NP (SL) Ltd is truly a customer friendly marketing entity that always ensures that high quality petroleum products are always available across the country. The proactive stance of the business entity has, for a very long period of time, has made it quite impossible for scarcity of qualitative petroleum products to occur with its attendant cascading negative effects on especially the cohesiveness of the nation.

It could be recalled that in our last edition we did disseminate information that NP(SL)Ltd imported 22,000 Metric Tons of Diesel last which is had been on the market for sale. It was speculated that such a substantial amount of diesel would meet the demands of consumers for the entire month of July, ensuring uninterrupted business operations for all Sierra Leoneans.

The passion, on the part of the company, to always give utmost satisfaction to its esteemed customers became evidently apparent when cognizance is taken of the fact that initially Management of NP (SL) Ltd considered a shipment of 16,000 metric tons to address public concerns and ensure smooth operations but considering the upcoming elections and the need for stability the quantity was increased accordingly.

Supplies were dispatched to the various NP Filling Stations which are located in nearly all the districts meaning that diesel is now available countrywide and easily accessible.

Additionally, this medium was reliably informed that there is an ample stock of fuel oil to support the operations of the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) and serve as an alternative to Bumbuna. This stock will also contribute to the CLSG West Africa power pool project.

Still demonstrating that it is a caring and customer-oriented business entity, NP(SL)Ltd, also (recently) on the 11th June, 2023 received another vessel with petrol and diesel and it was envisaged that the terminal will take maximum quantity to the capacity of the installation on the 11th June, 2023.

The company landed 14,000 metric tons of petrol (PMS) and 20,000 metric tons of diesel. Indeed the arrival of the vessel “NT Antares”, at the NP Terminal at Kissy in Freetown, signifies that NP (SL) Ltd is first for customer care as the company ensures the seamless flow of petroleum products across the country.

It may be interesting and in some instances very doubtful to believe that NP (SL) Ltd is an indigenous company formed by 35 Sierra Leoneans, former employees of the British Petroleum (BP) Company, who decided to buy shares out of their end of service benefits to later establish what became known as NP-Sierra Leone Limited.

Through shrewd and business-oriented initiatives on the part of Management of the company the meteoric rise of the company was accelerated.

Renowned for taking customer care to the highest pedestal, NP (SL) Ltd, has latest calibrated pumping machines installed in Filling Stations. These calibrated pumping machines are capable of pumping the exact amount of fuel paid for, thereby, giving confidence to customers that they are deriving value for money.

From time to time, NP (SL) Ltd conducts training sessions nationwide, targeting Station Managers and Pump Attendants, geared towards enhancing professionalism in service delivery. The cordial manner in which customers are treated has made the company very endearing.

One of the outstanding features of the company is placing high premium on offering job opportunities to Sierra Leoneans instead of foreigners except in situations when the local expertise is not available. The company strictly adheres to this policy which has benefitted some officially employed to perform various tasks.

Also, the operations of the company make it possible for some to serve as auxiliary workers whose services are required during specific periods of time.

To simplify fuel transactions, the company introduced what is known as NP Smart Card. It is a Card with a memory chip embedded that is activated when it is uploaded with money and vice versa. With a loaded card, the holder will request the quantity of fuel needed and based on the amount contained within the quantity of fuel requested for is discharged.

With this cashless way of procuring fuel, the use of NP Smart Card offers convenience, security and the opportunity to properly budget for the quantity of fuel an individual may want to consume within a specific time.

The company also offers on sale standardized cookers known as NP Gas which has been proven to not only be eco and environmentally friendly. NP Gas comes in different cylinder sizes and are available at NP Filling Stations or could be secured from authorized dealers. Its greatest advantage is that users can secure or procure gas, used to power NP Gas, from various NP Filling Stations. From a survey that was conducted, those who have tried it spoke loftily of its high performance and are even recommending it as a good kitchen partner.

In terms of rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility, the company has supported certain initiatives that are geared towards nation building and development. With the timely interventions of the company, certain worthy national issues have been addressed and support given to communities, especially where the company has a stake as well as standing firmly by the side of the people and Government during critical moments like the Regent Mudslide , the corona virus outbreak , the Wellington Tanker disaster.

Indeed, with the recent importation of large quantities of diesel and petrol, NP (SL) Ltd has once more demonstrated leadership in the petroleum marketing landscape of the country. It has established, beyond all reasonable doubts, that the company is very keen on ensuring that petroleum products are always available. Demonstrating competence and prudence in petroleum importation and marketing, NP (SL) Ltd, has proven that it is on top of situation.

EU Supports NCRA With Tier 3 Primary Data Centre Infrastructure

A Tier 3 primary data center infrastructure, an auspicious facility, is at an advanced stage (approximately 90 per cent) completion for the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) as part of the EU Delegation support to Sierra Leone.

It must be noted that the facility is the biggest data infrastructure in sub-Sahara Africa that can provide at least 72 hours of power outage protection and at the same time experience less than 1.6 hours of downtime per year.

The NCRA is mandated by an Act of Parliament to ensure the recording of all vital events such as birth, death, marriage, devoice, nullities among others that occur in the lives of all citizens and non-citizens resident in Sierra Leone.

Due to the importance of its mandate,  the Authority must have a befitting infrastructure  that will serve as a repository for not only  the successful  recording, hosting and management of such a huge data, but  also for the security and easy retrieval of any such recorded information.

Simply put, a data center is a physical facility (either a stand-alone building or a part of a building) used for housing information technology, computer systems and infrastructure components, and storing critical data and applications.

Data centres can also be connected internally and externally through networking and communication equipment leveraging on their physical servers to store, transfer and access digital information. Each server has a processor unit, storage space and memory similar to a personal computer but with more power.

In an inspection visit of the construction site at NCRA’s King Haman Road office on Tuesday 6 June 2023, the Director General for NCRA, Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi and Director of ICT, Alieu Kallon were strongly assured by Dr. Wassim Hamieh who is the head of team of the vendor International Computer Company (ICC) group in Sierra Leone, that the primary data center facility will be up and running, ready for operation by 18 June 2023. On the capacity and profile of the group, the ICC is an IT and engineering group, a subsidiary to ISSA holding, which was established in 1984 in Lebanon.

The ICC Group delivers the pinnacle in Data Center Solutions, Networking and Telecom, IT Security, IT Management, Software Licensing, Personal Computing and IT Support Services. The ICC group has delivered best in class and customized ICT solutions in industries ranging from Banking, Telecom and Hospitality to Public Sector, Higher Education and Healthcare.

Interested to know why data center for NCRA? – the integrated  Civil Registration, Vital statistics and Identity Management system of NCRA  aims to be the  bedrock through the efficient management of foundational data of all citizens and other nationals resident in  Sierra Leone.

The NCRA will serve as a credible data source for institutions providing services of functional identities such as NASSIT enrolment, land and property ownership, work and resident permit by immigration department, NRA for Tax administration, SLRA for vehicle registration and ownership, bank and financial transactions, enrolment into academic intuitions etc to be able to verify and confirm personal identities of their clients.  These are deliberate efforts in building democratic good governance institutions by providing credible and accurate legal identity evidences for all.

Institutions engaged in supporting and providing services in the areas of human rights, child labour, gender, disadvantaged population groups, education and social welfare rights, etc. need evidence of fact in order to ascertain the true and legal identity of citizens of these categories on a continuous and permanent basis.

Explaining the capacity of the NCRA Tier 3 Data Center, Dr. Wassim stated that the data center contains all of the facilities of tier 1 and 2 but do not require shutdowns during planned maintenance and equipment replacement. Hence, they are concurrently maintainable. To realize this resiliency, NCRA added redundant distribution path for power and cooling to the existing redundant critical components of tier 2 facilities so that all components needed to support the IT processing environment can be shut down and maintained, without impacting on any of the IT operations.

More specifically, all IT equipment must have dual power supplies attached to different UPS units, ensuring that a UPS unit can be taken offline without causing servers to crash or create a loss in network connectivity.

Also, redundant cooling systems must be in place such that if one cooling unit fails, another starts up and continues to moderate the temperature and humidity in a data center’s computer rooms.

To enhance facility security, tier 3 data centres have system protocols and equipment in place to permit staff to perform maintenance and repairs without interrupting services to customers. It also prevents unwarranted persons from accessing the domain.

Speaking on the benefits of this facility, Dr. Wassim pointed out that with this infrastructure, NCRA will now be able to record, provide adequate storage, process and distribute large amounts of citizens’ data safely, and in a more efficient manner.  He also assured the Director General that the physical security of the Data center includes alarms, electronic door locks, biometric scanners, and other safety measures to protect the data and assets inside the building. This, he said, will help to increase citizens’ confidence in terms of the safety and security of their electronic personal information. He added that the tier 3 data center facility will help to increase productivity and enhance greater reliability in data storage capacity and assurance in an event of emergency backup storage systems.

In conclusion, Dr. Wassim further assured the Director General that the NCRA Tier 3 data center has the opportunity for provision of future related projects such as leasing spaces in the Data Center for other Governmental Institutions that might express interest for the security and safety of their data. It has also positioned the NCRA   to be able to implement the first Disaster Recovery Site in Sierra Leone.

Finally, Dr. Wassim concluded that with this facility, NCRA is currently ahead by taking the first step towards E-Governance, which could be done by implementing a National Data Center.

The NCRA continues to assure the general public that it remains committed to protecting the personal data of all citizens and other nationals resident in Sierra Leone in line with international best practices and national laws conforming with data protection, data integrity and security.

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